Shears

This pair of iron shears was found in a Viking woman's grave which was eroding into the sea at Westness on Rousay in Orkney. She was buried with a range of grave goods, including tools for producing textiles and personal ornaments, sometime between 850 and 950.

The iron shears are unusually long. Their form is little different from sheep shears used for the past two millennia. One tip is broken and one has a lump of corrosion adhering to it.

The preparation of wool and flax, spinning, weaving, and sewing were the domain of Viking women. Several of the women's graves in the Viking cemetery at Westness contained tools associated with textile production.

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